Victorians need to learn how to tip properly

Nov. 28, 2012 at 5:28 a.m.

Editor, the Advocate:

When we moved to Victoria 18 months ago, we learned pretty quickly that good restaurant service is difficult to find. Talking to friends, I learned "that's just Victoria." Now that I'm working as a waitress at one of the nicer restaurants on Navarro, I think I understand why.

"Victoria" is not a good tipper. Customers who are rude, make special requests for everything they order and send the server to the kitchen a dozen times without even saying "thank you" do not inspire good service, especially when the server knows there is not a good tip in it for their trouble.

The standard average for a tip is 15 percent. It's acceptable to short tip for bad service, but a dissatisfied customer should also contact the manager so he can address the problem. A smiling, attentive server who keeps your glass filled and delivers your food hot and correctly deserves to be rewarded for doing her job well.

I question whether people know that minimum wage for servers is $2.13/hour - more than five dollars below minimum wage. Some guests seem to think they are being generous by giving a $2 or $3 tip on a $30 ticket because it's just a bonus, but it's not just a bonus. Tips are a big chunk of our income, and guests should budget the tip in the price of their meal. If you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to eat out.